Annual Event to Honor Longest-Serving Volunteer Larry Dolan
Dallas CASA will host its annual Champion of Children Award Dinner on Thursday, October 15 at the Fairmont Dallas, bringing together community leaders, advocates and supporters to champion children who have experienced abuse or neglect.
This year, Dallas CASA will honor Larry Dolan with the prestigious Jan and Judge Barefoot Sanders Champion of Children Award, in recognition of his extraordinary commitment to children in the Dallas community.
This year Dolan becomes the first Dallas CASA volunteer advocate to achieve 30 years of serving children in foster care. Since becoming a volunteer in 1997, he has advocated for more than 100 children, ensuring their voices are heard in court and helping them achieve safe, permanent homes. He is known not only for his steadfast advocacy, but also for mentoring new volunteers and strengthening the broader child welfare community. Dolan is being honored individually and as the representative of thousands of Dallas CASA volunteers who have been champions for children through their dedicated service.
In recognition of his profound impact, Dolan was recently honored with the Governor’s Lifetime Achievement Award, the highest individual honor presented through the Governor’s Volunteer Awards, which recognize exceptional service and leadership across Texas communities.
The Champion of Children Award is presented annually to recognize individuals and organizations whose leadership and philanthropy have significantly improved the lives of children facing adversity. Past honorees include organizations like the Dallas Mavericks, the Meadows Foundation and NorthPark Center, as well as individuals like Jan and Trevor Rees-Jones and Nancy Nasher, reflecting a shared commitment across the community to protecting and uplifting children.
Funds raised through the dinner directly support Dallas CASA’s mission to protect children, restore childhood and help young people who have experienced abuse or neglect achieve their full potential. Dallas CASA trains and supervises community volunteers who are appointed by judges to advocate for the best interests of children living in foster care.
“We are honored to celebrate Larry Dolan and his remarkable legacy of advocacy,” said Kathleen LaValle, president and CEO of Dallas CASA. “His example reflects the life-changing power of one dedicated voice speaking up for a child — and inspires others to do the same.”
Lael and Peter Brodsky and Cynt and Kenneth Marshall will chair the event. Both Lael Brodsky and Cynt Marshall are active Dallas CASA volunteer advocates, bringing firsthand experience to their leadership roles and deepening the connection between the event and the children it serves.
“As a sworn Dallas CASA volunteer advocate, I have seen just how much children in foster care need someone firmly in their corner,” said Lael Brodsky. “Advocating for a child changes you, and it changes them. That’s why Larry’s decades of commitment matter so deeply. He shows what it means to stand with a child, not just once, but for a lifetime.”
The evening’s speaker will be Jelani Freeman, an attorney, motivational speaker and national advocate for children in foster care. After entering foster care as a child and aging out at 18, he overcame significant challenges to earn multiple degrees, including a law degree, and build a career in public service. A former CASA volunteer, Jelani is a powerful voice for children, inspiring others with his resilience and his belief in the life-changing impact of one caring adult.
The evening’s program will highlight the impact of volunteer advocacy, celebrate a shared commitment to children and underscore the ongoing need for more advocates in the community.
For more information about sponsorship opportunities or to reserve a table, visit dallascasa.org or contact Dallas CASA.
